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Dusty great manager?

If you were looking at this team, before the season started, and you were to tell me that BP would be in a month long slump to start the season. Votto would have vertigo like symptoms and be out for a few games. Micah Owings was our best pinch hitter. Jay Bruce was only batting .228. and Willy Taveras only had 12 stolen bases. What would you say our record would be? under .500? Dead last in the division, sellers at Memorial day?

You have to give Dusty some credit. He doesn't always say the right things, heck, he says some things that even he doesn't believe comes out of his mouth, but he motivates these young kids. He has a group of AAA ballplayers, role players, that are just giving him all they have every single game. Some are playing out of their minds out of Position (ie. Ramon Hernandez at 1st.).

Its not like we are playing mistake free baseball, we are having our errors, we have our mistakes, but we fight, we take pitches, we don't swing at bad pitches. We believe in each other and no matter what, we out hustle the other team. That is motivation, that is a great leader, that is Dusty Baker.

Re: Dusty great manager?

Originally Posted by ian_madden

If you were looking at this team, before the season started, and you were to tell me that BP would be in a month long slump to start the season. Votto would have vertigo like symptoms and be out for a few games. Micah Owings was our best pinch hitter. Jay Bruce was only batting .228. and Willy Taveras only had 12 stolen bases. What would you say our record would be? under .500? Dead last in the division, sellers at Memorial day?

You have to give Dusty some credit. He doesn't always say the right things, heck, he says some things that even he doesn't believe comes out of his mouth, but he motivates these young kids. He has a group of AAA ballplayers, role players, that are just giving him all they have every single game. Some are playing out of their minds out of Position (ie. Ramon Hernandez at 1st.).

Its not like we are playing mistake free baseball, we are having our errors, we have our mistakes, but we fight, we take pitches, we don't swing at bad pitches. We believe in each other and no matter what, we out hustle the other team. That is motivation, that is a great leader, that is Dusty Baker.

While he seemingly makes some decisions that I just can't understand and do not seem to make sense, granted all managers make these decisions because we are all allowed to sit here and second guess them. But one thing Dusty has done this year is put guys in the opportunities to succeed, and also put guys into the fire right when they are called up such as Fisher and Gomes. It seems like whoever he puts where they are performing up to their potential and this has to be a positive reflection of an aspect of Dusty as a manager. Like him or not, you can't deny the performance of a lot of AAA callups and role players this year when given the opportunity just as you mentioned.

Re: Dusty great manager?

Originally Posted by ian_madden

If you were looking at this team, before the season started, and you were to tell me that BP would be in a month long slump to start the season. Votto would have vertigo like symptoms and be out for a few games. Micah Owings was our best pinch hitter. Jay Bruce was only batting .228. and Willy Taveras only had 12 stolen bases. What would you say our record would be? under .500? Dead last in the division, sellers at Memorial day?

You have to give Dusty some credit. He doesn't always say the right things, heck, he says some things that even he doesn't believe comes out of his mouth, but he motivates these young kids. He has a group of AAA ballplayers, role players, that are just giving him all they have every single game. Some are playing out of their minds out of Position (ie. Ramon Hernandez at 1st.).

Its not like we are playing mistake free baseball, we are having our errors, we have our mistakes, but we fight, we take pitches, we don't swing at bad pitches. We believe in each other and no matter what, we out hustle the other team. That is motivation, that is a great leader, that is Dusty Baker.

X2, Finally some credit for Dusty! It's very refreshing to see for a change. You have to love how much winning means to him, it's obvious it bothers him when they lose. I like that a lot, and it seems like it's rubbing off on this team!

Re: Dusty great manager?

Originally Posted by ian_madden

, but we fight, we take pitches, we don't swing at bad pitches. We believe in each other and no matter what, we out hustle the other team. That is motivation, that is a great leader, that is Dusty Baker.

Or that could be just a change in leadership on the team. Fact that Dunn and Lazy Griffey arent here anymore. And the fact that guys like rosales and Gomes and changing the face of this team.

I think it has more to do with that than dusty baker.

If it doesnt have to do with that why didnt we see this type of attitude and hustle last year. Did dusty change>? No. The team changed.

You think dusty has anything to do with rosales mindset on how he was going to play the game. Rosales was the kind of player he was before he came up. We have a bunch of young kids fighting for a position and loving playing this game.

Re: Dusty great manager?

Or that could be just a change in leadership on the team. Fact that Dunn and Lazy Griffey arent here anymore. And the fact that guys like rosales and Gomes and changing the face of this team.

I think it has more to do with that than dusty baker.

If it doesnt have to do with that why didnt we see this type of attitude and hustle last year. Did dusty change>? No. The team changed.

You think dusty has anything to do with rosales mindset on how he was going to play the game. Rosales was the kind of player he was before he came up. We have a bunch of young kids fighting for a position and loving playing this game.

I agree with you to some extent, but I think Dusty deserves some credit as well. Last year was also his first year there, and he was trying to change the attitude of losing, that can take some time. I think he's done a fine job, but I do agree losing Griffey and Dunn was addition by subtraction. In some interviews during the spring Dusty said that they needed to change what they had done the last several years because it didn't work (speaking of Griffey and Dunn) so he may deserve some of that credit wanting a different style of team, and not pushing to bring those guys back. He's also a 3 time manager of the year, so it's not like he's not proven himself as a manager.

Re: Dusty great manager?

Or that could be just a change in leadership on the team. Fact that Dunn and Lazy Griffey arent here anymore. And the fact that guys like rosales and Gomes and changing the face of this team.

I think it has more to do with that than dusty baker.

If it doesnt have to do with that why didnt we see this type of attitude and hustle last year. Did dusty change>? No. The team changed.

You think dusty has anything to do with rosales mindset on how he was going to play the game. Rosales was the kind of player he was before he came up. We have a bunch of young kids fighting for a position and loving playing this game.

I have watched baseball since about 1961, and I have never seen a manager who wants to win as much as Dusty Baker. He should get his share of credit for this team's early success.

Re: Dusty great manager?

Re: Dusty great manager?

Originally Posted by mroby85

I agree with you to some extent, but I think Dusty deserves some credit as well. Last year was also his first year there, and he was trying to change the attitude of losing, that can take some time. I think he's done a fine job, but I do agree losing Griffey and Dunn was addition by subtraction. In some interviews during the spring Dusty said that they needed to change what they had done the last several years because it didn't work (speaking of Griffey and Dunn) so he may deserve some of that credit wanting a different style of team, and not pushing to bring those guys back. He's also a 3 time manager of the year, so it's not like he's not proven himself as a manager.

I agree as well.

Im not saying he has NOTHING to do with it.

But he certainly doesnt have Everything to do with it. As the OP was coming across.

Re: Dusty great manager?

Dusty frustrates me some times, but I'll admit I take some things for granted. Sometimes the best move is no move, and Dusty does have patience with his pitchers and hitters. I was sooooo glad he took Lincoln out when he did last night. I feared he would leave him in longer to get even more shelled. I was frustrated with Owings, and wanted a Sparky Andersen yank of him, but Dusty stuck with him and got 5 innings out of him. I probably would have yanked him sooner knowing we have Thursday off. But hindsight is 20/20.

Also, if I were manager, my unwillingness to give player's a longer leash would probably not endear me much to them. These players like Dusty and maybe his longer leash has them playing harder for him.

Re: Dusty great manager?

I think Lou is overrated. I know he managed us to a World Series title, but I still think he is overrated. He is entertaining though.

I agree, everyone always blames Dusty for having loaded teams, but who has been anymore loaded than Lou?

He had the Seattle team of Griffey, Buhner, Edgar, Randy Johnson, Ayala, etc, and is now with the Cubs who are as talented as any team in baseball. He basically just quit in Tampa because he couldn't win there without talent.

I wasn't around to see the 90 WS which is probably why I feel this way, but since i've been alive, all i've seen from Lou is hype, and no titles.

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